The police intervened the press declaration of public labourers who had been dismissed by a state of emergency decree and have been struggling 841 days to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on February 27, 2019 at 13.30 and 18.00.

It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on February 27, 2019, 2 people (Mahmut Konuk and Nazan Bozkurt) and at 18.00 2 people (Nazan Bozkurt and Acun Karadağ) were detained.

Thus in total 4 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on February 27, 2019. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.

(02/365) Police Intervention Against a Union Protest in Bursa…

On February 27, 2019, the police intervened into the protest of Construction Workers’ Union (İnşaat-İş), about the unpaid wages of the workers of High-Speed Train construction in Bursa, and detained 11 people including 3 union organizers. It is learned that detained 10 people were released on the same day but 1 worker was arrested due to his credit debt to banks.

(02/366) Özgür Gündem Case…

The case against Human Rights Foundation of Turkey chair Professor Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey representative Erol Önderoğlu, and journalist-writer Ahmet Nesin on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13 for participating in “Editors in Chief on Watch” campaign to support Özgür Gündem newspaper which was closed down by a state of emergency decree, is held on February 27, 2019. The prosecutor declared the legal opinion on the case and demanded sentence for Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Ahmet Nesin and Erol Önderoğlu on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’. The lawyers demanded that the case file should be sent to the prosecutor to be rewritten however the court rejected this demand and adjourned the trial to April 15, 2019.

(02/367) The Cases Against Academics Who Are the Signatories of the Petition “We will not be a party to this crime!”…

The separate cases against 6 academicians (Professor Saliha Paker, Professor S.S. and PhD student Ömer Faruk Yekdeş from Boğaziçi University, Professor Mesut Yeğen from Şehir University, Professor Murat Cemal Yalçıntan, Assoc. Professor Besime Şen from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University) for signing the petition “We will not be a party to this crime!” on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 36 for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ are held on February 27, 2019. The court adjourned the trial of the case against Saliha Paker to May 29, 2019; the trials of the cases against Ömer Faruk Yekdeş, Mesut Yeğen and Murat Cemal Yalçıntan to March 7, 2019. The court sentenced Besime Şen and S.S. to 1 year and 2 months each for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ and deferred the announcement of the verdict.

(02/368) Berkin Elvan Case…

The case of Berkin Elvan’s death on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 17 is held on February 27, 2019. Berkin Elvan was wounded due to a gas canister fired by the police on June 16, 2013, during Gezi Park protests in Okmeydanı neighbourhood of Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district; and died in hospital on March 11, 2014.

The witness police officers are heard at the trial. The court accepted the demand of complainant lawyers for an expertise survey and rejected to arrest the defendant police officer and adjourned the trial to April 10, 2019.

(02/369) The Case Against People Evacuated from Nusaybin…

On the trial of the case against 53 people who were detained and then arrested during the curfew on Nusaybin district, on Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 4 which was held on February 25, 2019, the court decided to separate the case for each defendant and to start proceedings all over again with new case files.

On February 27, 2019, the trial of the case against 10 people is held. It is learned that the defendants reject to make defence unless the case is consolidated again. The court decided to continue detention of 10 people and adjourned the trials to April 16, 2019.

It is learned that the trials will continue on February 28, 2019.

(02/370) Non-Prosecution Decision on Police Violence…

It is learned from the news coverage of February 27, 2019 that, Istanbul Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office gave a non-prosecution decision for 7 police officers through an investigation about the police violence where Gülsüm Elvan’s arm was broken during a police intervention to a protest in Kadıköy district of Istanbul on August 11, 2017.

It is reported that the reason of the decision is stated as following: “It is not known how the action that caused Gülsüm’s arm to be broken however it could have been broken during she was being handcuffed or due to making a move during scuffle, and according to the expert report of video footage monitoring, there is no visual evidence of the complainants being beaten”.

It is learned that the lawyers will appeal to the decision.

(02/371) CHP MP on Trial…

The case against Republican People’s Party (CHP) Istanbul MP İbrahim Kaboğlu, for signing the petition “We will not be a party to this crime!” on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 18 for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ is held on February 27, 2019. İbrahim Kaboğlu attended the trial and make his defence. The court adjourned the trial to July 18, 2019.

The first case against Professor İbrahim Kaboğlu for this reason was opened on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 36, and the legal proceedings were not ended although Kaboğlu was elected as an MP on June 24, 2018. The court has sent the case to Ankara Heavy Penal Court based on lack of venue decision.

(02/372) Community House Members on Trial in Ankara…

The final trial of the case against Community House members Aysun Gençtanır, Ataberk Mest, Furkan Bircan and Osman Çokman, for the protest in front of Presidential office in Ankara on November 28, 2017, is held on Ankara Penal Court of First Instance on February 27, 2019. The court acquitted 4 people.

(02/373) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…

48 of 146 people who were detained through an Izmir based investigation on February 19, 2019, are arrested by the court on February 27, 2019. It is learned that 98 people are released on judicial control conditions.

(02/374) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…

The final trial of the case against 3 people, for the incidents at Çekmeköy military post during July 15, coup attempt, is held on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 23 on February 27, 2019. The court sentenced 2 defendants to 6 years and 3 months and to 7 years and 6 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court acquitted 1 defendant.

The final trial of the case against Oktay Acu, former member of Penal Department No 18 of the Supreme Court, is held on Penal Department No 9 of the Supreme Court on February 27, 2019. The court sentenced Oktay Acu to 9 years for ‘being an illegal organisation member’.

The final trials of the separate cases against 3 people for leaking the questions of Public Personnel Selection Exam in 2010, on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 2 is held on February 27, 2019. The court sentenced 2 defendants to 6 years and 3 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court also sentenced 1 defendant to 8 years and 4 months for ‘chain fraud towards public institutions’.

The final trial of the case against a former military member who was dismissed by a state of emergency decree, on Gümüşhane Heavy Penal Court is held on February 27, 2019. The court sentenced the defendant to 8 years and 4 months and a fine of 980.500 Turkish Liras for ‘being an illegal organisation member’ and ‘chain fraud towards public institutions’.

(02/375) Elections on March,31…

On February 27, 2019, People’s Democratic Party’s (HDP) office in Aydın’s Nazilli district is raided by the police. HDP district co-chair Sinan Bayrak is detained after the search at the office.

On February 27, 2019, Zekerya Kaldır, HDP’s city council candidate and 7 people (Yüksel Kaldır, Ali Sayan, Ferhat Gül, Önder Uzun, Suat Kanmaz, Abdullah Kanmaz, Özal Seyhan) are detained in house raids in Tekman district of Erzurum. The reason of detention is unknown.

On February 27, 2019, the Supreme Election Board rejected the appeal to Akdeniz district election board’s and Mersin provincial election board’s decision to decline the nomination of Aleddin Erdoğan, HDP’s co-mayor candidate.

On February 27, 2019, the Supreme Election Board rejected the appeal to Bodrum district election board’s and Muğla provincial election board’s decision to decline the nomination of Mustafa Saruhan, CHP’s co-mayor candidate.

(02/376) Ban on Access to a Web Site…

It is learned from the news coverage of February 27, 2019 that, Ankara Penal Court of Peace No 5 banned access to the entry on Ekşi Sözlük web-based dictionary, about Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Ankara Metropolitan mayor candidate Mehmet Özhaseki’s statements as “guerrillas in the mountains” for PKK.

[1]The reports on the human rights violations of the Documentation Center are claims unless they are certified. The claim of violation either is certified through thoroughly investigations of HRFT Documentation Center, including by judicial verdicts, and becomes a definite data or it is not included to the annual report.

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